Is Satan The God of This World?

And though this world, with devils filled, Should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us.

The prince of darkness grim we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo! his doom is sure, one little word shall fell him. (1)

Christians will use all types of excuses to keep themselves out of today’s religious-moral-cultural battles. One of the most diabolical excuses is to claim that Satan is the rightful god of this world. This translates into believing that this world is demonic. Let’s see what the Bible actually says about this.

Satan is a creature. Like all creatures, he has certain limitations. Even under the Old Covenant, Satan had to be granted permission by God before he could act (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7). Satan’s limitations have been multiplied since the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. [product id=”1152″ align=”right” size=”small”]

The Bible shows us that if we “resist the devil he will flee from” us (James 4:7). The only power that Satan has over the Christian is the power we give him and the power granted to him by God (2 Cor. 12:7-12). Scripture tells us that Satan is defeated, disarmed, and spoiled (Col. 2:15; Rev. 12:7; Mark 3:27). He has “fallen” (Luke 10:18) and was “thrown down” (Rev. 12:9). He was “crushed” under the feet of the early Christians, and by implication, under the feet of all Christians throughout the ages (Rom. 16:20). He has lost “authority” over Christians (Col. 1:13). He has been “judged” (John 16:11). He cannot “touch” a Christian (1 John 5:18). His works have been destroyed (1 John 3:8). He has “nothing” (John 14:30). He must “flee” when “resisted” (James 4:7). He is “bound” (Mark 3:27; Luke 11:20). Finally, the gates of hell “shall not overpower” the advancing church of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 16:18).(2) Surely Satan is alive, but he is not well on planet earth.

So then, what does Paul mean when he describes Satan as “the god of this world,” actually, “of this age”? (2 Cor. 4:4). To hear some people tell it, this verse teaches that Satan has all power and authority in this dispensation and in the locale of planet earth. Where God is the God of heaven and of the age to come, Satan is the god of this world and this present evil age. This dualistic view of the universe may be part of Greek philosophy, but it has no place in biblical theology.

[product id=”1232″ align=”left” size=”small”]While it’s true that the devil is said to be the god of this age,(3) we know that God is “the King of the ages” (1 Tim. 1:17). Paul is simply stating that Satan is the chosen god of those who deny Jesus as God’s rightful heir of all things (Matt. 22:1-14). These are the true antichrists (2 John 2:7; 1 John 2:18). Jesus is in possession of “all authority,” in both heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18-20). In addition, we know that Satan’s power has not increased since Job’s day. He is still a permission-seeking creature. This is especially true under the new and better covenant inaugurated by Jesus Christ. As the above verses make clear, Satan is a second-class creature who has been cast out and judged: “The ruler of this world shall be cast out” (John 12:31); “the ruler of this world has been judged” (16:11).

What, then, does the apostle mean when he describes Satan as “the god of this age”? First, we must never allow one passage to finalize our understanding of a particular doctrine. Scripture must be compared with Scripture. There are no contradictions. Therefore, we can’t have the Bible saying of the one true God, “I am the LORD, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God” (Isa. 45:5) and then making Satan a rival god. Paul must have something else in mind. We can’t say that Satan has been judged and cast out, something that does not happen to gods, and still maintain that he is the god of this world similar to the way Jehovah is God of this world. Paul is making a theological point. For example, Jesus tells the Pharisees that the devil is their father (John 8:44). We know that Satan is not their biological father. Rather, he is their spiritual father in that they rejected their true Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Physically these Jews, to be sure, are children of Abraham; but spiritually and morally–and that was the issue–they are the children of the devil.(4)

Jesus is describing the devil as one who gives birth to a worldview, a worldview that includes lying and murder. In this sense, Satan is their spiritual father. In the same way, Satan is a god to those who cling to the fading glory of Moses, “the ministry of death” (2 Cor. 3:7). This is the age over which he is a god, an age that “has no glory on account of the glory that surpasses it” (v. 10). [product id=”1234″ align=”right” size=”small”]

Second, the devil is chosen as a god by “those who are perishing,” and he must blind them before they will follow him: “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4). This passage teaches that unbelievers are fooled into believing that “the old covenant” where the “veil remains unlifted” is the way to life (v. 14). Satan is the god of the “ministry of death.” The “god of this age” keeps them in bondage, “but whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away” (v. 16). Liberty from the ministry of death only comes where the Spirit of Lord is: “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (v. 17). But Satan has blinded the eyes of the unbelieving so they cannot see the lifted veil. They are still trusting in the shadows of the Old Covenant.

Third, like idols in general, the devil is “by nature” not a god (Gal. 4:8; cf. Deut. 32:17; Ps. 96:5; Isa. 44:9-20; 1 Cor. 8:4; 10:20). This includes the devil. In Philippians 3:19, Paul tells us that those who are “enemies of the cross of Christ” worship “their appetite”: “For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is there appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.” The appetite is not a god, but it can be chosen as a god.

Fourth, the only way Satan can pass himself off as a god is to first blind his victims. Keep in mind that Jesus described the devil as “a liar, and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Though Satan masquerades as a god, this does make him a god.

[product id=”1181″ align=”left” size=”small”]Satan wishes, albeit vainly, to set himself up as God, and sinners, in rebelling against the true God, subject themselves to him who is the author of their rebellion. The unregenerate serve Satan as though he were their God. They do not thereby, however, escape from the dominion of the one true God. On the contrary, they bring themselves under His righteous judgment; for Satan is a creature and not a God to be served (cf. Rom. 1:18, 25). Just as there is one in the world and every pretended alternative to it is a false no-gospel, so there is only one God of the universe and every other “deity” whom men worship and serve is a false no-god.(5)

When all the evidence is in we learn that Satan is the god of an age that was passing away. “This age” and “this world” are used “in an ethical sense,” denoting “the immoral realm of disobedience rather than the all-inclusive, extensive scope of creation,” representing “the life of man apart from God and bound to sinful impulses, a world “ethically separated from God.”(6) Calling Satan the “god of this age” is more a reflection on the condition of “this age” than the real status of the devil. Chrysostom comments that “Scripture frequently uses the term god, not in regard of the dignity that is so designated, but of the weakness of those in subjection to it; as when he calls mammon lord and belly god: but the belly is neither therefore God nor mammon Lord, save only of those who bow themselves to them.”(7)

When the church makes Satan the “god of this age,” it has fallen for one of the devil’s schemes–giving him a lot more credit and power than he deserves. He is quite satisfied in having anyone believe one of his lies.Endnotes:

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Everybody sure missed the point here. He is saying that "the world" does not include Christians. Satan is the "god" of this world. The Bible says that Christians are not of this world, but of another, the Kingdom of God. Satan rules over unbelievers, but not true believers in Jesus Christ. His point is that we are deceived if we believe Satan has any power over a believer. He is saying that Satan only has power over an unbeliever. Some people think the Bible says that Satan can deceive God's people, but it doesn't say that. It says that Satan WOULD deceive the elite, IF IT WERE POSSIBLE!! But, we already know that if you have put your faith in Christ and have the Holy Spirit, you will not be lost. Jesus will not lose any sheep that are given to Him by God. The Holy Spirit is "the seal of the promise" of eternal life. The Bible says that those who do not have the Spirit are not the children of God. That is one problem I have with the Catholic Church. They believe that only the Pope has the Holy Spirit and that he is the one that speaks with the authority of God. The Bible tells us that the Word of God is not of any private interpretation. There are so many Catholic beliefs that contradict the scriptures. But, that is not the topic here.

The Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ. It is fact. Jesus appointed Peter as the first Pope. Petros means rock. Jesus said to Peter Upon this rock I will build my church. He also said the the Gates of Hell will will not prevail against it. You can trace each Pope right back to Peter in an unbroken line. Satan has been trying to destroy the chuch ever since Jesus founded the one true church. The Catholic church is constantly under attack. Lets take a look at the charges of sex abuse against the Catholic Church. How many people know that the United States Department of Education commissioned Charol Shakescraft to study sex abuse in the United States. This was a four year study. She is considered an expert in the field of sex abuse. She found that the Catholic Church had the least amount of sex abuse out of all denominations and that the Public School had 100 times as much. Funny how the Catholic Church is the only one being demonized. Why is that??? So that the authority of the church can be destoyed in the minds of the people. So that same sex marriage can succeed and abortion can be mandated. Oh and the study showed the abuse was Homosexual. That fact was buried by the media. Well over 98% of all priests were good and holy servants and were not involved. Why can't the Main Stream Media report the facts?
Napolean, Hitler and Stalin all vowed to destroy the Catholic Church. What happened to their empires? Where is the Catholic church today? Today the Catholic church has over 1.1 billion members.

I used to believe the false teaching that says satan blinds people from seeing the truth, that satan is the god of this world, but the Bible clearly states that it is God, not satan, that blinds people from seeing the truth, that truth is found in John 12:39-40
12:39 KJV - Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
12:40 He [God] hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

I shudder to think what would occur when each argument bearer finds his retort mere folly. Well, I would surely not want to stand in their way I can tell you.Would minebe a verbal beating or an actual physical confrontation? Love God first and your neighbors second. These two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets!

Good job, Gary, but incomplete. If you were Catholic you would have heard just this weekend the Gospel reading of Luke 4::1-13 wherein satan, in his temptation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus states the following:
The devil said to him,
“I shall give to you all this power and glory;
for it has been handed over to me,
and I may give it to whomever I wish.
All this will be yours, if you worship me.”
FOR IT HAS BEEN HANDED OVER TO ME, is what he tells Jesus. Hence, we can easily see that this world IS demonic. The tragic reality is, PROTEST-ant sects have hermetically sealed themselves away from the only Church which Jesus and the Holy Ghost created at Pentecost, the One, Holy, Aposotlic, Roman Catholic Church. Indestructible. 2,000 years still teaching what it taught 2,000 years ago. The Vandals, the Huns, the Franks, the communists, the over 38,000 PROTEST-ant sects, the homosexuals ... NOBODY has been able to destroy Her. Why? Because God protects Her. No matter what your frivolous, capricious personally justified opinions are, the FACTS are the FACTS.
Come home, before it's too late. Or be like the virgins who didn't have sufficient oil in their lamps and wanted more from our virgins, were told to go to the vendor (priest) to get their own and were too late for the Divine Wedding Feast. See http://www.javaemerald.com/religion/gloria_polo_testimony.html for a very interesting aspect of what occurs after death to those with insufficient oil in their lamps.

"2 Cor4: 4 in whom the god of this age did blind the minds of the unbelieving, that there doth not shine forth to them the enlightening of the good news of the glory of the Christ, who is the image of God;"
What 'Age' were these people in when 2 Corinthians was written? They were in the Age that was 'waxing old and ready to fade away', ie. The Mosaic Cultis Covenant Age. If we are still in that Mosaic Age, then 'Satan' is still around. If we are in the Messiahnic Covenant Age, then Satan is gone forever, along with Death and Hell, thrown into The Lake of Fire. Pick the 'Age' that you want to live in and with that, you will also pick the God/god of that 'Age'.

Speaking of satan and the worldly, would sure hope that, someday, Gary will explain, from Scripture, how he justifies his support for the McCain/Palin ticket and then the Romney/Ryan ticket.......
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Who??? Satan the God of this world???
Rev.12 says the Dragon was defeated, got booted out in heaven & thrown down to earth; Rev.20 says the ancient Serpent, Satan the Dragon was seized & locked up; soon to be released at the end of the Millennium. Meaning there's somebody, an All-mighty behind Satan using & directing his role as deemed best at the most appropriate timeline. Thanks for the write-up Gary.

In my book, "Israel, Rapture, Tribulation How To Sort Biblical Fact From Theological Fiction," chapter 3, I write this about Satan.
THE DEVIL’S KINGDOM
Many assume (as I always did) that when Paul wrote of the “god of this world” in II Corinthians 4:4, he was writing about Satan. “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” But is the devil really the one to whom Paul was referring? Is Satan the only one (with God’s permission) that can blind the mind or harden the heart of someone? Who can, and who has the power to give people over to a reprobate mind? (See Rom. 1:18-32) I now concur with what Adam Clarke wrote about this verse. “I feel considerable reluctance to assign the epithet “THE God” to Satan...”15
Let us not forget as we sometimes do, that God is a God of justice and judgment and, because of the perverseness of man’s heart, can give individuals over to a reprobate mind. Cannot God do with us as the potter with the clay? “O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? Saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel” (Jer.18: 6). Since God is sovereign, He may take His mercies away from those who abuse them. You will find throughout Scripture that it was God who blinded the eyes and hardened the hearts of corrupt men.
"And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land." (Ex. 11:10) "Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with eyes, and hear with their ears, and under-stand with their heart, and convert, and be healed" (Isa. 6:9-10)
See also Matt. 13:14,15; Mark 4:12; John 12:40; Rom. 11:8-10
Adam Clarke, commenting about these verses, writes:
Now all this is spoken of the same people, in the same circumstances of willful rebellion and obstinate unbelief; and the great God of heaven and earth is he who judicially blinds their eyes; makes their hearts fat, i. e. stupid; gives them the spirit of slumber; and bows down their back, &c. On these very grounds it is exceedingly likely that the apostle means the true God by the words the god of this world.
Adam Clark also writes that: “Some, and particularly the ancient fathers... have read the verse (II Cor 4:4)... But God hath blinded the minds of the unbelievers of this world... Irenaeus, Tertullian, Chrysostom, Theodoret, Photius, Theophylact, and Augustine, all plead for the above meaning; and St. Augustine says that it was the opinion of almost all the ancients.”
You may not agree with this view of this verse, but it certainly shows that we should not just assume we have the correct interpretation of Scripture without a lot of prayer and study behind our assumption.
The devil has a Kingdom (Luke 11:18), and he rules the thoughts and deeds of evil men and demons. He is the ruler of the world of darkness, the world of sin, the world of wicked thoughts, the world of lies, and of everything that exalts itself against the authority of the Lord Jesus. The devil’s “world” is a spiritual world, and an amoral world. But it also has physical properties; Rom. 12:2; its cares, Matt 13:22; its sons, Luke 16:8, 20:34; its rulers, I Cor. 2:6,8; its wisdom, I Cor. 1:20, 2:6, 3:18; and its fashion, Gal. 1:4.
Satan is called the “power of darkness” (Luke 22:53), and the “prince of the power of the air.” “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that
now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Eph. 2:1-2).
Satan is not called the King of the earth or King of the planet — for a very good reason: He’s not! Adam Clarke, in commenting on Eph. 2:2 writes, “Satan is termed prince of the power of the air, because the air is supposed to be a region in which malicious spirits dwell, all of whom are under the direction and influence of Satan, their chief.”18 Matthew Henry’s commentary concurs with Adam Clarke’s comments on Ephesians 2:2.
“Jesus said, “I will build my church: and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). Joseph H. Thayer’s comments on the word “prevail” in Matthew 16:18 are very enlightening: “…to be strong to another’s detriment; to prevail against; to be superior in strength; to overpower: (meaning, not even the gates of Hades — than which nothing was supposed to be stronger — shall surpass the church in strength.’)”19
The Christian needs to do what Paul and John taught. Casting down imaginations (reasonings) and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (II Cor. 10:5). Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (I John 2:15-17)
The Christian also needs to remember that Christ triumphed over the devil and his works. “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them...” (Col. 2:15).

I just have to chuckle when I see believers trying to figure out who rules. It's something bad, real bad, and deceptive, real deceptive, and hidden, really camoflaged. It's right in front of us and many can not see it because of their religious programming.
In the NT Jesus (a Jew) called the Jewish church the Synagogue of Satan. That a clue. Who rules this world, open your eyes the Jews rule this world.
They own the media, they own Obama and Romney, they own the courts, the advertizing, Hollywood, Wall Street, the big banks. The Rothschilds are Jews. Ben Shalom Bernanke is a Jew. The Neocons are nearly all Jews and dual citizens of Israel. The capitalists are Jews, the Bolshevik Revolution was a Jewish movement, Karl Marx and Engels were Jews.
Romney worked at Bain Capital with Netanyahu, Bain is a Mossad front, look up who owns it. Obama appointed Rahm Emmanual, son of the Irgun terrorist, as his first appointment.
AIPAC is the most powerful lobby on the planet, no Congressman stands up to AIPAC or the 300 other Jewish PACs.
So why can't Christians see the obvious? Because they were Biblically indoctrinated and in the Jewish Bible the Jews are gods chosen.
Satan does rule this world, and the god of this world is Satan because this "god" is Jewish money and power.

Postmillennialism needs Satan to be "hanging around" (weak, defeated, crushed, whatever) but not destroyed because that happens "later on" when Jesus comes back. Gary, all your saying is a glorified version of dispensationalism (futurist).

Catholicsm is the bloody whore of Revelation 17--the apostate, murdering church that is rejected and will be destroyed by God. It will be great so see that evil, idolatrous Vatican city burned by the Lord.
As to this article--it is preposterous. Not only is Satan THE "god of this age", our Lord thrice calls him "the prince of this world" and tells us Satan has a KINGDOM, and Paul says he is "the prince of the power of the air, and that our warfare is with PRINCIPALITES, POWERS, THE RULERS OF DARKNESS AND SPIRTUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES. The Devil HARDLY sounds disempowered, except in the lives of believers who walk in the Holy Ghost and understand the Bible. Gary and his cessationist, preterist, postmil dreamers don't cast out devils or heal the sick, so there is NO EVIDENCE in their lives that the devil is as "defeated" as they delusionally claim.

Jesus was tempted the same way as everyone is tempted, everyone is not tempted by a fallen angel named satan, that truth is confirmed in the Book of James.
Hebrews - KJV
-------------
4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
James - KJV
-----------
1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Catholicism is nothing but rank heresy and its message has nothing to do with the Gospel.The catholic church was created by men who abandoned the truth, not the Messiah, and those who follow her pernicious and deceitful ways are lost, yet in their sin, and under the condemnation of Yahweh. Those who follow the error and stupidity propagated by the Popes have committed the sin of Idolatry for the Catholic church has elevated the Pope to the status of the vicar of Christ which is blasphemy. Christ is the way of salvation not the corrupt, and anti-Christian catholic church, and you sir, have no idea about what you are talking about. God has allowed the Catholic church to survive not because He protects her but so that those who are truly seeking the light of Christ have an example of what to avoid while searching for the truth.

PREPOSTEROUS PERVERSION OF THE SCRIPTURE BY A SHAMELESSLY DELUSIONAL FALSE DOCTRINE KNOWN AS PRETERISM. That's right, insert "Mosaic" into every reference to the world or age or ages. So, since 70AD, the Devil is no longer THE god of this world? Yea, verily, the world sure got better since then! World War One, World War Two, 60 million abortions in America since 1973, 50 MILLION EVERY YEAR IN CHINA, and we are to believe the church will conquer and the 1000 year reign of the church, WITHOUT JESUS CHRIST HERE, will soon begin. How ungodly and stupid this satanic doctrine is! The Sodomites are about to conquer our nation ye blind Pharisees, the ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT IS ALMOST HERE, as is the TECHNOLOGY TO WATCH EVERYONE, CHIP EVERYONE, AND CONTROL ALL MONEY, ELECTRIC POWER AND FOOD BY COMPUTERS! 666 is just about here, while for the last 20 years, you sottish bufoons have been denying it.

If "the god of this world" is not Satan, then who (or what) else would be? I believe it is a small "g" used there, which means it is not referring to the one true God. The same is when the Bible uses a small "s" or capital "S" when referring to the Spirit of God or another spirit. You are not insinuating that "the god of this world" is referring to the one true God, are you?

"I just have to chuckle when I see believers trying to figure out who rules."
You do not have to "chuckle" any longer trying to figure our who rules. No it is not the Jews! Hint... He died for our sins and He has all power in heaven and earth. Matthew 28:18

That is exactly the point the author is making, only in different words. He is saying that Satan is not a god any more than a carved piece of stone. He is saying that Satan masquerades as god in this world, deceiving the world (those who live according to the ways of man rather than according to the Spirit). How can Satan be a god if he can only control the minds of those who don't have the Spirit of Christ Jesus? Even if Satan has control over a man, God has control over Satan. Only a true believer in Jesus Christ is safe from falling for Satan's lies. He is saying that if you fear the power of Satan you have not come to the knowledge of the Truth. He is saying that "the world" and "the age" does not include believers. Because we "are not of this world." We are just passing through on our way to our permanent home. We are foreigners to this world. So, Satan has control over those who are of "this world" but not those who are of the kingdom of God. The Bible tells us that those who consider themselves NOT of this world, but of the kingdom of God, live as though they are seeking a permanent and spiritual home rather than a physical home. The devil entices those who are of the world to live according to man's desires. Those who belong to the kingdom of God live according to the desires of the Spirit. The author is right but he should have taken more time and scripture to explain it. I could say a lot more, but then I would take up too much space. It isn't my space to use up.